Chasing the Dream
by laurah2215
Summary: The Concannon's series-story 38


Title: Chasing the Dream

Author: Laura H

Disclaimer: If I married Aaron Sorkin, would I own the rights to The West Wing and the characters? It's an intriguing thought, even if he is over twice my age. But, oh, that brilliant mind!

Rating: PG

Synopsis: Abbey has a chance to have her own career.

Author's Notes: It's my study week for school, so I was able to finish this story that I've been working on.

Story 1-I Loved Her First  
>Story2- Just Another Day in Paradise<br>Story 3: My Little Girl  
>Story 4:Chivalry Isn't Dead<br>Story 5:He's Just Sensitive  
>Story 6: The Hardest Conversation Ever<br>Story 7: Letting Go  
>Story 8: Getting Good at New Things<br>Story 9: Where We Need to Be  
>Story 10: Always Loved By Me You're Gonna Be<br>Story 11: Endings and Beginnings  
>Story 12: Proud of the House We Built<br>Story 13:Starting a Club  
>Story 14: First Pet<br>Story 15: Miscommunication  
>Story 16:The Go-Between<br>Story 17: The Third and Fourth Wheel  
>Story 18: You Can Let Go<br>Story 19: Make the World Go Away  
>Story 20: Invalid<br>Story 21: Hands on a Miracle  
>Story 22:And At the End and the Beginning Was You<br>Story 23: Reunions  
>Story 24: The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away<br>Story 25: Separation Anxiety  
>Story 26: Parental Discretion is Advised<br>Story 27-I Will Take Care of You  
>Story 28: Take Your Kids to Your Old Work Day<br>Story 29:When the World Stopped Turning  
>Story 30: It Won't Be Like This for Long<p>

Story 31: I'm Yours

Story 32: My Achy, Breaky Heart

Story 33: The Sleepovera

Story 34: Asking for Forgiveness

Story 35: Let Love Grow

Story 36: I Will Remember You

Story 37: Chasing the Dream

Timeline:

October 2006-"I'm Yours"  
>Nov 2006- CJ and Danny finally see what they've been missing for<br>eight years. Story 19- Make the World Go Away.

Jan 2007- Story 35- Let Love 24- "The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away".CJ and Danny move to California together. CJ becomes President of the Hollis Foundation. Danny begins writing Josiah Bartlet's biography.

February 2007- I Will Remember You

July 2007-CJ and Danny get married at the Bartlet farm and conceive Abigail during their honeymoon in Ireland.

August 2007:Story 13-"Starting a Club"

Sept 2007- Danny starts school to finish his doctorate

Nov 2007-Story 20 "Invalid"

January 2008- "Parental Discretion is Advised""

February 2008- Abigail is born  
>March 2008-Story 30-"It Won't Be Like This for Long"<p>

March 2009-Patrick is born.

August 2009:Story 25-"Separation Anxiety"

August 2010:Story 23-"Reunions"

January 2011: Story 5-He's Just Sensitive"

Sept 2013:Story 2-"Just Another Day in Paradise"

Nov 2013- February 2014: Story 3- "My Little Girl"  
>June 2014:"Take Your Kids to Your Old Work Day"<p>

May 2015: Story 14- "First Pet"

July 2015: Story 33-"The Sleepover"

May 2018: Story 34-"Asking for Forgivness"

June 2020:Story 16-"The Go-Between"

June 2021: Story 4- "Chivalry Isn't Dead"

June 2021: Story 17: "The Third and Fourth Wheels"

February 2023: Story 37: " Chasing the Dream"

April 2023: Story 29: "When the World Stopped Turning"

Jan 2025:Story 6-"The Hardest Conversation Ever"

March 2025: Story 7- "Letting Go

June 2029-Story 11 "Endings and Beginnings"

March 2030: Story 32-"My Achy, Breaky Heart"

May 2032: Story 1-Abigail's wedding- "I Loved Her First"

July 2032: Story 8- "Getting Good at New Things"

September 2032: Story 9-"Where We Need to Be"

January 2033: Story 10-"Always Loved By Me You're Gonna Be

July 2033: Story 12- "Proud of the House We Built"

September 2033: Story 15-"Miscommunication"

March 2044:-"You Can Let Go"

May 2045-"I Will Take Care of You."

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"Beautiful dismount!" Danny declares, pumping his fist into the air as his daughter lands a flawless routine on the uneven bars.

"How do you not hold your breath every time she gets on those things?" CJ asks her husband from her seat next to him. They are sitting with the other parents in the seating area across from the gym floor. She and Danny don't usually get to view Abigail's gymnastics practices on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, so they try to make a point of watching her weekly Saturday morning practices at the club she's involved in.

"Because she's been doing this since she was five years old and I have total confidence in my daughter," Danny replies with conviction. " Besides, didn't you do gymnastics and figure skating as a kid?"

CJ tenses her back. "And as a girl who didn't have half the talent Abbey has, who took many falls off the uneven bars and a really traumatic fall in figure skating, I can say that I'm terrified every time she's in a competition and goes full out."

Danny shrugs nonchalantly, still smiling as Abbey gives them a little wave and moves on the mats over to the beam. "She knows what she's doing, darling. She's not going to get hurt."

"Hey, Danny, CJ." A sweat suit-clad petite woman with blonde hair pulled into a ponytail approaches CJ and Danny.

"Hey, Val. Good to see you. How's she been doing out there?" Danny points to his daughter in the pink leotard amongst the dozen other girls in the gym practicing their routines on the beam, vault, bars and floor.

Abbey's coach grins, observing the teen on the balance beam. " Glad you asked. I was hoping you both would drop in today. Can we chat in my office?"

Danny can't help but smile expectantly at CJ, who nods her compliance. They follow the coach out of the floor area and through the hallway to the coach's office.

"Take a seat," Val suggests, pointing to two plastic chairs in front of her desk as she closes the door to her office.

"Has she been putting chewing gum in the other girls' hair, maybe going into their gym bags and hiding their underwear?" CJ half giggles.

The coach laughs along while pulling a yellow file folder out of a drawer and handing it to Danny. "I put my whole life into this gym, and these girls are like my family. You know how much I care about Abbey, but I'm afraid the time has come for her to go."

Danny's face falls. " I don't understand. She's the best ranked gymnast on the team. She's your best asset at all the competitions."

Val's lips curl into a smile. " I know. And, unfortunately, she's outgrown this club."

"Out grown?" CJ doesn't understand what the coach is trying to tell them. They've been sending Abbey to this gym for almost ten years.

Val directs the parents' attention to the papers in the folder. "I need to think about Abbey's future. I took the liberty of sending a video from our latest invitational competition against the San Francisco team out to a few friends of mine who run elite clubs throughout the country. Abbey won gold at the competition and received the highest mark for the floor routine of any girl in the state of California last year. Well, the feedback I got was pretty overwhelming."

Danny's lips form a closed mouth smile. He's intrigued to hear the news. "What kind of feedback?"

"Everybody wants her," the coach declares seriously, barely containing a smile.

Danny no longer tries to hide his grin. " Really? Like who?"

" Well, there's the Naperville Gymnastics Club in Illinois. The WOGA in Texas, Sharp's Gymnastics Academy in Pittsboro, and All Olympia right in L.A," Val informs them, joining the proud father in his excitement. CJ, however, isn't smiling and doesn't seem impressed. "Basically, once they saw what she was capable of, they were scrambling to add her to their team. With Nationals coming up in August, they were even discussing possibly sending her. With the right training, she could have a shot at the U.S Gymnastics Team!"

"Oh my God! That's incredible!" Danny shouts, squeezing CJ's hand hard because he can't sublimate his excitement.

"That's crazy," CJ declares, fixing Danny, then the coach, with a serious, sobering stare. "Abbey is not a career gymnast. She's just a normal teenager. Her gymnastics is just for fun and exercise."

"But, honey, we had no idea she could possibly be good enough to make the national team," Danny adds.

CJ tilts her head and purses her lips. "We don't know that. These coaches just saw what happened to be a really good performance day for Abbey. That doesn't make her a professional gymnast, and it certainly doesn't mean she's at the level to consider trying for Nationals. Besides, when we agreed to let her start competitive gymnastics we agreed that it would only be for sport, that she would only practice two nights a week and on Saturday so it wouldn't interfere with school. "

"I know, but if there are other gyms in the country who think she could challenge at Nationals, then shouldn't we give it a shot?" Danny responds, his eyes wide with anticipation.

Val folds her hands in front of her on the desk. "Look, I know this is a lot to take in right now. Why don't you take this home and think about it? Talk to Abbey and consider your options. If you'd like, I can put you in touch with the other coaches and work out the logistics."

"That won't be necessary," CJ insists, standing up and securing her purse under her arm. "Abbey's not leaving this gym. She's been here for most of her life and she's made some of her closest friendships here. There's no need for her to leave now."

The coach lowers her eyes and nods. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but I do understand. I would just hate to see Abbey waste her potential."

"She won't," Danny replies, with a not-so-subtle glance at CJ.

"We have to get going. I'm sure Abbey will be through by now." CJ turns around and heads for the office door.

Danny picks up the folder with one hand and reaches across the desk and offers Val his other hand. "Thank you for talking to us today, and thank you for referring Abbey to those clubs. I would love to see Abbey train and try out for the national team, but my wife has a lot of reservations. I'll see if I can bring her around."

"I hope that you do. Abbey's very special. I haven't trained a girl like her. Let me know if you need anything, Danny." Val follows the father out of her office.

"Thanks, Val."

"Honey, why won't you even consider what a great opportunity this could be for Abbey?" Danny asks, chopping onions for the salad at the kitchen counter.

"Because it's crazy," CJ responds in a huff, beating the potatoes with the electric beater. "We're not up rooting our entire lives and moving across the country so Abbey can train at a new gym for a career that I don't want her to have. We've got jobs, jobs we like, and our fifteen year-old daughter isn't going to have one."

"But what if this is what she's meant to do?" Danny puts out there, transferring the onions into the salad bowl and moving onto cutting up cucumbers.

CJ rolls her eyes, adding some pepper flakes to the potatoes. "She's not. She's going to finish high school like a normal kid and then go to college so she can get a stable, respectable career."

"But if she was a professional gymnast she could get a scholarship for college and we wouldn't have to worry about that," Danny points out.

"We've been saving to send her to college since she was in my womb. Your argument is weak, Daniel," CJ retorts with a heavy sigh, removing the chicken from the oven.

"Why don't we talk to Abbey about it and see how she feels?" Danny suggests. "Maybe she really wants to go after this dream but we've been holding her back." Danny dices tomatoes to include in the salad.

"Don't mention anything to Abbey yet," CJ pleads, reaching into the cupboards for dishes. "I'm no where near ready to consider this. Have you even thought about how this would affect PJ? Not that I'm considering moving, but if Abbey joined another gym in a different state and we had to completely uproot everything, that would be terrible for Pat. He's finally got friends and activities and sports that he's comfortable with. And he's going to start high school in the fall and he's already nervous about that. We can't take away everything he's familiar with."

Danny nods his agreement with his wife. Perhaps he had been too quick to jump on the coach's Abbey-Can-Be-an-Elite-Gymnast Bandwagon. He hadn't thought through all the ramifications for their family. They have an Autistic son who would have a hard time coping with something as huge as moving across the country. "Yeah."

"So you'll cool it for a while?" CJ raises a brow in Danny's direction.

"We'll look at all the options and talk to all the coaches ourselves before we involve Abbey. We'll do what we think is best for our whole family," Danny assures CJ, albeit regretfully.

CJ bobs her head, relieved that she seems to have gotten Danny to remove his head from the clouds. "Good. Why don't you go call the kids for dinner so we can get over to Donna and Josh's party?"

"Can you grab the soda?" Abbey asks of her boyfriend as she deposits the popcorn from the popcorn maker into a large glass bowl.

Noah Lyman fetches the bottle of Diet Coke from the refrigerator and picks up the stack of plastic cups off the island counter. He had offered to help Abbey procure snacks for their siblings who are engaging in a Nintendo Wii marathon in the den so they could steal a couple kisses in the kitchen away from their nosy brothers and sister.

The telephone on the wall rings so Abbey automatically assumes that it is her father calling to check in on the kids and make sure they are behaving. When she doesn't recognize the Lyman's number from Caller ID, she lifts the phone off the receiver and brings it to her ear. " Hello?"

"Hello. May I please speak to Mr. or Mrs. Concannon?" the caller across the line requests.

"They aren't available right now. This is their daughter. Can I take a message?" Abbey offers, tossing some popcorn in her mouth as Noah leans against the counter.

"Is this Abigail?" The man on the phone inquires.

"Uh… yeah," Abbey stutters, not sure how much information she should volunteer.

"Great. My name is Tom Yatesen and I'm with the All Olympia Gymnastics Centre in Los Angeles. Have you made your decision about what gym you'll be joining? We're eager to know."

"What do you mean?" Abbey shakes her head.

"Well, when we talked to Val she said she would talk to you and your parents. She said you got a lot of offers from different gymnastics clubs and you'd have to consider your options. I completely understand that, by the way. You're immensely talented and you'd be smart to spend some time evaluating the different gyms and what they can offer you, as well as their competitive prospects for Nationals. But if you joined our team, we could definitely send you to Nationals in August. You'd probably have to increase your training regiment; I know you're not full-time now. But we would get you ready and you could make a big impact at Nationals…"Tom trails off and allows his statement to settle.

Abbey is beyond confused about what this man is telling her. "What? You want me to train at your gym? And there are other clubs that want me, too? How is that even possible? I'm not an elite gymnast. I just do this for fun. How…how did you even find out about me?"

"Your coach, Valerie, sent me a video of that invitational in December, of course. You had a top-scoring floor routine. You landed the full- in, back-out on the uneven bars. I was incredibly impressed, and I was not the only one. Some of my esteemed counterparts are trying to scoop you up. But Val told me today that your parents have some reservations about you competing at this level. Look, I understand that the training would be much more intense and it would probably require home-schooling, but I see your potential and I know that you can succeed at this level. If you have the dream, we can make it happen."

Abbey has to take a deep breath as her eyes fall to the ground. " My parents knew about this?"

"Yeah. Val talked to them about your potential and your future and everything. Look, if you want this and you want to sign with us, please don't hesitate to contact me. I can help persuade your parents and allay any of their concerns," the coach tells Abbey positively.

Swallowing hard, Abbey avoids sighing. "Thanks. I haven't finished mulling over my options, but I'll let you know what I decide." Abbey wants to put out the impression that she's in control and that she was never left out of the loop by her coach and parents.

"Okay. Well have a good evening and I'll talk to you later. Please let your parents know I called and ask them to give me a call at the office."

"I will. Thanks for calling." Abbey ends the call and sets the phone back on the receiver.

"What was that all about?" Noah wonders as Abbey lifts her fingers to rub at her temple.

Abbey shrugs, shaking her head in disbelief. "Apparently my coach sent a video of me at a competition to private gyms and a bunch of them want me. Val told my parents that I had some kind of serious future in competitive gymnastics."

Noah's eyes dilate in surprise and pride and his lips form into a dimply grin. " That's awesome, babe."

A pained expression plagues Abbey's usually pretty face. "Yeah, well, apparently not. My parents obviously don't agree because they didn't even tell me about all this."

Noah narrows his eyes. " Really? Why wouldn't they talk to you about it?"

She tries to shrug it off, but it's obvious that Abbey is hurt. "Probably because they don't think I'm good enough and can't handle competing at the top level. My gymnastics has always been for fun and they don't take me seriously. They don't believe in me and don't want me to pursue my dreams."

Noah's face falls in sympathy and he reaches out to touch Abbey's shoulder. " That's not true. They love you and would probably support you in whatever you did."

Abbey brushes her boyfriend off, taking the popcorn bowl and darting across the kitchen. "Whatever. It's not like they'll ever let me become a professional athlete anyway, so there's no point in dwelling on it. Come on, let's get this stuff in the other room."

The teenage boy is left with the impression that Abbey doesn't want to discuss the issue further and just wants to be left alone, so he resigns himself to the fact that he won't be able to make her feel better now. He picks up the drinks and cups and traces Abbey's steps to the den.

"Just wanted to say goodnight," CJ whispers as she lets herself in through the open door to her daughter's room later that night.

Abbey, clad in pink pajama pants and a purple hoodie, is combing her hair at her vanity dresser and doesn't look up to greet her mother. " Goodnight."

"Did you guys have fun tonight?" CJ asks, padding across the room and perching herself on the end of Abbey's bed. She pulls the end of Abbey's quilt up and over her legs.

"Yeah," Abbey responds unenthusiastically, setting her brush down.

"Donna threw another lovely block party," CJ informs her daughter, trying to make conversation.

"That's good," replies Abbey lamely.

"Are you okay?" CJ inquires, finally fixing Abbey with a questioning stare.

Abbey whips around and looks CJ directly in the eyes. " You got a phone call tonight from a Tom Yatesen of All Olympia. He was looking to discuss with you my future in gymnastics. In fact, he mentioned that there were many clubs that were looking to discuss my future with you and Dad. They wanted to talk about my future, and Val wanted to talk about my future, so I'm wondering why you didn't want to talk about my future with me. Or is that because you didn't even think I could have a future in gymnastics?"

Danny hovers hesitantly in the doorway, having overheard the conversation on his way to say goodnight to Abbey.

CJ immediately exhales, knowing she is in for a fight. "Honey, it's not like that at all."

Abbey tosses her hands up into the air dramatically. "Oh, really? Then why didn't you tell me Val sent that video to other gyms and that she told you that she thought I could compete nationally? Why didn't you tell me that all these clubs wanted me on their team?"

Danny steps into the room to intervene. " Hey, lower your voice, Abigail. You don't raise your voice to your mother like that. And we only found out about everything this morning at your practice. Val pulled us aside and said she wanted to discuss your prospects. This is all very new."

"You just found out about it?" Abbey seeks confirmation from CJ.

CJ nods as Danny sits beside her on the bed and motions for Abbey to take a seat, as well.

"Well, were you ever gonna tell me about all this?" Abbey asks, perching in front of the parents.

CJ doesn't like lying to her daughter, but she also wants to avoid hurting her. "We were going to figure out how we felt about this and how it could impact our family before we discussed it with you."

"So, you were going to make the decision for me, without even considering my feelings?" Abbey asks, pointing her index and middle finger at her own chest.

CJ hesitantly decides to admit the truth. "No. But this is a huge, potentially life-altering decision and not for a fifteen year-old to make by herself. We wanted to consider all the options first. I mean, some of these gyms are half way across the country, and frankly we aren't prepared to give up our entire lives here so you can train for a career that we're not certain you should have. Professional athletes always face uncertainty and risk losing everything, and that's just not the life we've imagined for you."

Abbey throws herself off the bed in a huff. "But what if it's what I wanted? You didn't even think that this could be my dream! You don't care what I want at all. You just want me to be this perfect little girl and excellent student and if I don't fit your mold then you don't like it. You don't want me to be an elite gymnast because you think it's beneath us, it's beneath you. I thought you'd love me no matter what I did, but you'll only love me if I fit your image of what you want in a daughter." Abbey shakes her head at CJ, tears streaming down her eyes.

"Baby, that's not true," Danny states adamantly, standing up and wrapping one arm around Abbey's shaking shoulders. "I'm so proud of everything you do, and not just the academic stuff. I'm always bragging about your gymnastics and showing off your medals. I know you can do anything you set your mind to, and I have no doubt you can compete at the national level."

Wiping at her tears, Abbey quirks a little smile. " I know you believe in me, Daddy. You've always been my biggest cheerleader."

"I believe in you too, honey," CJ insists firmly, tears pooling in her own eyes at the thought that her daughter thinks she doesn't completely love and support her. "I completely respect your athletic talent and ability. But you're fifteen years-old; you're not having a career. I'm not moving Pat across the country and your father and I aren't giving up the jobs that we love, that have supported our lifestyle for sixteen years, so you can go after this long-shot opportunity. You're going to graduate high school like a normal kid and go to college like you've always wanted. Because you have a different dream of working for an NGO and protecting the environment and working for children's rights. You talked about maybe someday working for the Hollis Foundation. Have you all of a sudden forgotten about those things? You can't do that if you're going to waste your life away jumping around on the beam."

"But I could spend the next few years doing gymnastics and then go to college. Most gymnasts careers peak by the time their nineteen or twenty. I could go to college after that," Abbey argues.

CJ shakes her head. "No, Abbey. You're not training full-time for this. I want you in school five days a week, focusing on that."

"You're impossible! You're don't care at all." Abbey cries, whipping around and running straight out of the room.

"Abbey!" CJ calls out, standing up and following Abbey down the hall.

Danny stops by grabbing her elbow and slowing her down. " Honey, let her go. She needs to cool off. She'll probably go brood outside on the patio or blare the TV really loud, but she'll come around."

CJ peers over the banister on the stairs down into the foyer as Abbey throws on her sneakers and lets herself out the front door. " She ran outside! Where's she going? It's eleven o'clock. Danny, I don't want her outside alone at eleven o'clock. Danny, go get her!"

"Okay, sweetie, it'll be fine. I'll go get her, but I think she'll want some space." Danny squeezes CJ's hands before going to retrieve his shoes.

"Where's Abbey?" CJ demands as Danny enters the foyer, sans Abigail. CJ had been pacing the foyer awaiting their return the last couple minutes.

Danny grimaces. "Haven't seen her yet. I checked down the street to the left. I just thought I would check to see if she came home before I headed to the right. You know, she probably went to see Noah. I'll head that way now."

CJ's face physically relaxes. "Oh, you're right! I can't believe I didn't think of that. I'll call there now."

Just as CJ is about to reach for the living room phone on the coffee table, it rings as if on cue. CJ fumbles as she scrambles to bring the phone to her ear as quickly as possible. " Hello?"

"Hey, CJ," comes the familiar voice across the line.

CJ is practically elated to hear Donna's voice and hopes that her friend is calling to inform her about her daughter's whereabouts. "Donna, hi. Please, please, please tell me you have my daughter."

Donna laughs lightly as she recognizes the overly worried tone in CJ's voice. "I do, indeed. I guess there's been a little drama."

"Oh, Donna, we had a huge fight, " CJ admits with strain. "Abbey's coach approached all these professional gyms and they're offering her a spot on their teams because they think she can compete at the national level. But I don't want her to be a pro gymnast. I mean, it's unstable and risky and could mean that I'd have to uproot my entire family. The bottom line is that she's just a little girl and she's not ready for the pressure of a full-time career. I want her to go school and have the experiences of a normal kid. Is that so wrong?"

"No, not at all," Donna replies without hesitation. " Of course you're right. But Abbey feels like you don't understand her, that you didn't even ask her if she wanted to pursue this. Maybe you should have talked to her about this and made her feel like she had a say in the matter? She feels like you don't value her as a person."

CJ pauses, realizing that she's done a great disservice to her daughter. " Yeah. I really messed up. Thanks for giving her a safe place to crash and letting her talk it out. But it's getting late so we'll come pick her up."

"No problem. She's always welcome here and she knows that. She kinda wants to have some time away and she and Ella want to have a sleepover, so if it's all right with you we can keep her here tonight and she can share Ella's room."

"Ah, no. That's okay. I'd rather not. I know she's mad and would rather be with Noah and Ella, but I want to have a chat with her and settle things before we go to sleep. Please understand," CJ begs of her friend.

"Of course, that's your call. But, why don't you take your time? Come get her in like twenty minutes or half an hour? She needs some time to cool off," Donna suggests.

"Yeah, okay," CJ agrees reluctantly. The last thing she wants is her fifteen year-old spending the night at her boyfriend's house after they've had a fight. Even though CJ realizes that there is no safer place she would rather have her daughter stay than at Josh and Donna's, and she completely trusts the couple and their family, CJ desperately needs to reconcile with Abbey tonight.

"All right. So, we'll see you later?" Donna confirms.

CJ sniffles, trying to hold back tears. "Yeah. Thanks, Donna. I'm sorry I'm being such a mean, controlling mother and won't let her stay over, but I just have to see my daughter tonight. But I really do appreciate that you guys are always there for the kids, that Abbey feels safe to come to Noah and Ella and talk to you when she's upset. I hope you know that."

"I do, CJ. And I completely understand. I know that you want to talk things through with her yourself. I may be her friend, but I'm no substitute for you. She needs you right now, even if she doesn't think so. She'll come around. I know she will. She loves you more than anything in the world."

CJ rolls her eyes, dabbing at a stray tear in the corner of her eye. "Not right now."

"The important thing is that she's safe," Danny reiterates, wrapping an arm around CJ as they curl up on the living room couch.

"But she ran away because she's mad at me. She's never done that before. She hates me," CJ cries, shaking her head.

"She doesn't hate you," Danny protests, drying CJ's face with a tissue.

"I really messed up. We should have told her about everything like you wanted." CJ is rethinking how she approached the news of the day.

"You were just trying to do what was best for our family," Danny reminds her, trying in vain to comfort his wife.

CJ glances directly into Danny's eyes, her own eyes watery. "Do you think she was right?"

"What do you mean?" Danny takes CJ's hands and envelopes them in his own.

CJ swallows the lump in her throat. "Do you think I'm trying to mold her into an image of what I want her to be? Do you think I'm pushing unrealistic expectations upon her? Do I only want her to be a perfect student and go onto a reputable college? Is the reason I don't want her to be a gymnast because I think it's somehow an inferior career and beneath me?"

Danny blinks rapidly, trying to formulate an appropriate response. " No. I think we're both trying to give her the tools to be a well-rounded, self-sufficient person. You're worried if she pursues gymnastics professionally that she'll neglect school and won't be able to get the education that's a prerequisite for a sustainable career."

CJ averts her eyes to the ground and inhales deeply. "I never thought I'd be one of those parents who pushed their dreams on their kid and forced them onto this little conveyor belt and made them come out like a factory product. I thought I would give my kids freedom and choice to do whatever they want."

"You know what it might be?" Danny rubs CJ's shoulder soothingly. " We can't put any pressure on Pat because of his social anxiety. We hardly have any expectations for him except that he can some day be independent and happy. So maybe we've got all these great dreams for Abbey about her going to the Ivey League and then saving the world. But is that so wrong? I don't think so. We're not so different than any other parents. I don't think you're pushing Abbey onto a cookie-cutter path. When the time comes, we'll let her choose which college to attend and which jobs to take."

"But just not gymnastics?" CJ seeks confirmation, sighing just a little.

"Hey, Danny. Come on in," Josh offers, opening the front door for his friend later that night.

"Thanks, Josh. Sorry for all this drama. My girl's keeping you guys up really late." Danny steps into the foyer as Josh closes the door behind him.

Josh laughs it off lightly. "It's not a problem. The kids are in the den. Hey, guys. Danny's here."

Donna comes in through the kitchen and offers Danny a sympathetic half-smile. "Hey, Danny."

"Thanks for keeping her, Donna. I'm sorry it's prolonged your evening," Danny replies, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets.

"It's totally fine, Danny. We don't mind at all," Donna reassures him as the kids come in through the den.

"How about we let these guys get some sleep?" Danny suggests, reaching forward to envelope his daughter in a hug.

Abbey half-frowns as she extricates herself from Danny's hold. " 'Kay."

"Good night. Call me in the morning," Noah requests, hugging Abbey soundly.

Ella steps to the side and hugs Abbey, as well. "Night. Hope you feel better."

"Thanks, Donna, Josh. I'm sorry I came over so late and kept you all up." Abbey offers Donna a grateful hug.

"No, problem, sweetie. You're welcome anytime. I love you and we'll talk tomorrow, okay?" Donna runs a hand over Abbey's reddish brown curls.

Danny puts a hand on Abbey's shoulder and walks them out the door. " Thanks, guys. Talk to you, tomorrow."

"Bye," Josh calls as Danny and Abbey descend the porch.

When they reach the sidewalk, Abbey tilts her head to look at her father. " Why couldn't I stay?"

"Because we have some things to work out. Your mother wants to talk and end this disagreement," Danny replies, moving his hand to hold his daughter's hand.

"Well I don't want to talk to her," Abbey proclaims. "She doesn't believe in me and doesn't want me to pursue my dreams, not like you do. I know you believe in me."

"Okay, slow down. Let's get a couple things straight." Danny stops them squarely in the middle of the sidewalk. "Your mom loves you more than anything, and she supports everything you do, including your gymnastics. It's hasn't just been me there cheering you on these last ten years, okay? It really hurt her when you said you didn't think she supported you. It breaks her heart because you and your brother have been her world for the last fifteen years. You can be upset with your mother, but don't ever, ever, ever think for a second that she doesn't love you or support you. So, when we go in there, you're gonna lose your attitude and remember that that is the incredible woman who has raised you your entire life and who would give her life for you, and you will respect her. Do you understand?"

Chastened, Abbey nods her obedience. " Yes."

Danny resumes walking down the street toward their house. "And next time you're upset and need some fresh air and want to go to your boyfriend's house, you'll tell us where you're going so I don't have to run around the neighbourhood looking for you and you don't have us worrying, okay?"

"Yeah," Abbey replies meekly.

Danny raps lightly on the door to his bedroom before letting himself in, Abbey close in toe.

CJ is in the en-suite bathroom and enters the bedroom when she hears them enter. She has her favourite teal-coloured fluffy robe pulled over her pajamas and has just finished brushing her teeth. "Hey."

Abbey awkwardly shifts on the balls of her feet. " I'm sorry I took off and you were worried about me. I wanted to go see Noah. I should have told you where I was going. It won't happen again."

CJ nods curtly, folding her arms across her chest. "Good, because I was worried."

Abbey takes in a deep breath. "And I'm sorry I stormed off like that. I know it was really immature. I just…I was upset because I felt like you made this decision for me and didn't even consider my feelings and talk to me about it."

Sighing, CJ pads over to the bed and seats herself on the end of the bed. She pats the blankets and motions for Abbey to take a seat. "Honey, I'm sorry we didn't talk to you immediately about our discussion with your coach. We were going to tell you about it. But you have to understand how worried I was about the prospect of us picking up and moving across the country so you could train professionally. The chances of making it to the top are so slim and only the absolute best girls get to win at Nationals and go onto international competition. I would just hate the thought of you spending all your energy training for something, only to have your hopes and dreams dashed in the end."

Sitting between her parents on the end of the bed, Abbey nods. " I know. But what if I still stayed in school and just trained in L.A? I could join that All Olympia and just try to make it this year at Nationals? We wouldn't have to move and nothing would really have to change, but then I could at least see if I was capable of competing at the top level."

CJ shares a look with Danny, trying to gauge his opinion on Abbey's idea. Danny definitely seems in favour. "I don't know. If you wanted to train there, it would still be a huge adjustment. That's a much more professional gym. You would be expected to increase your time at the gym and I have a feeling it would interfere with your school work. You would certainly have to give up the gymnastics team at school, as well as the basketball team and the environment club and Model U.N. You wouldn't have much time left over to spend with Noah."

Abbey's face registers alarm. "I wouldn't have to break up with him, would I?"

CJ shrugs. "The girls at the gym that are training for Nationals and have dreams for the Olympics, they don't have boyfriends or go to high school or participate in clubs. If this is what you want, you'd have to give up an awful lot."

Abbey contemplates what her life might be like if she pursued this dream. "I want to see where I can go with this. Can I please, please join the A.O.G.C?"

CJ steals another glance at Danny, who can barely contain a smile of approval. "You sure you know what you're getting into? You're positive this is your dream? You know what you're willing to give up?"

"Yes," Abbey nods with conviction. " I'd give it all up, being a normal teenager and everything, except Noah. I'm not willing to forsake our relationship."

CJ inhales and lets out a prolonged sigh. She isn't certain that she wants her daughter to train professionally, but Abbey wants it so much and she wants to do everything she can to make her daughter's dreams come true. "All right, then we'll talk to the coach at this L.A club. But, under no circumstances are you leaving high school. I don't care how much they push you to commit to the gym and want you home -schooled, you will stay at Abernathy. If your grades start to suffer, then you'll have to cut back your training. You're not forsaking your academic future, because you've only got maybe five peak years for gymnastics, but your academic career will last a lifetime. So, this is a two-sided deal, okay? We'll let you go to this gym if you promise to stay focused on school, as well. If you don't hold up on your end of the deal, then you won't be able to continue with gymnastics. Does that seem fair?"

Abbey grins, just grateful that her mom is going to permit her to strive for the top. " Yes, of course. Thank you, Mom!" The girl flings her arms around CJ's neck and clings tightly.

"Is that okay, Danny?" CJ seeks confirmation from Danny, realizing they hadn't discussed the plan and agreed on their position together.

"Yeah, that's completely fair," Danny vocalizes his consent and joins in the women's hug. "Oh, sweetpea, I'm so proud of you. I know you can do this. But I need to echo your mom's words. Your mom and I invested in our futures when we were young by getting a good education. That's how we ended up with our great careers that are able to pay for what I am sure is going to be an incredibly expensive club for you to practice your gymnastics in. So you need to continue to excel in school so that when you retire from gymnastics you'll always have a stable career waiting."

"I will," Abbey promises, hugging Danny soundly. "Thank you. Can we call Tom Yatesen tomorrow?"

CJ exhales, running a hand over Abbey's pony-tail. "Yeah, we'll set up a meeting and see what kind of plans he has for you. And we'll make it perfectly clear that you are to remain committed to your school work." CJ can't help but shake her head. To her, it seems like just yesterday she was admonishing her toddler for doing cart-wheels in the kitchen, and now her teenager is embarking on a potential career. It scares CJ to think of Abbey having any serious future in professional athletics, her daughter perhaps getting her hopes up only to get injured or have some other misfortune befall her and lose everything at the last minute. She tells herself that it's just temporary, that as soon as Abbey gets a taste of elite gymnastics she will realize that she is not cut out for it and she'll want to return to her comfortable home club. At the very least, she knows that she and Danny won't permit their daughter to waste her brain away so that when the time comes, she will be able to choose from a variety of colleges and embark on a more long-term career. "God, I'm gonna miss Val."

Abbey grimaces, letting go of Danny. "Oh, yeah, me too. I'm gonna miss my friends at the gym, too. I'm used to seeing them all the time. I guess I won't have a lot of time for them anymore."

"You'll make new friends at your new gym," Danny offers as a way to comfort his daughter.

"Unless they're mean and super-competitive. Val says that the elite girls can be really catty," Abbey adds, frowning.

"Don't worry about that now, Princess. Focus on the positive. This is an exciting new phase." Danny squeezes Abbey's arm soothingly.

"Yeah, you're right. Well, it's been a long day so I'm going to go to bed." Abbey jumps off the bed.

Danny steps down off the bed. "Goodnight, sweetie. I love you, baby." Danny plants a kiss to his little girl's crown.

"Love you, too, Daddy." Abbey kisses Danny's cheek before turning to CJ. "I'm sorry for upsetting you, Mom. I know you love and support me, I was just so upset and not thinking clearly. I didn't mean to hurt you like that."

CJ slides off the bed to hug her daughter. "I never, ever want you to think for a second that I don't love and support you. I'm sorry that you ever doubted that. I will be happy with whatever career you want, so long as you can be happy, satisfied, self-sufficient, and relatively stable. But the choice is up to you. You don't have to do something just because it's what I want. We've always encouraged you to be your own person. You don't have to be my protégé, you don't have to be perfect. I will love you no matter what you, even if you fail. Do you understand?"

Abbey squeezes her mother's shoulders. " Yep. Thanks, Mom."

CJ closes her eyes, just glad that she was able to get through to her daughter and make her realize that a mother's love is unconditional. With everything the young girl is about to embark upon, she 'll need to know that her parents will always be proud of her.


End file.
